Brisbane and Gold Coast Hot Topics connect with self-advocates from Canada
The Brisbane and Gold Coast Hot Topics groups had the opportunity to have an online zoom meeting with Respecting Rights and New Advocates groups for people with an intellectual disability in Canada. It took a little bit of organizing for the Hot Topics groups in Queensland to dial in at 9am on Friday, 3 July from Brisbane and the Gold Coast to connect with the Canadian groups on their Thursday night, 2 July at 7pm but we did it!
The groups were excited to meet and enjoyed sharing their stories especially around speaking up for themselves, growing group membership, the different disability schemes in each country and how their group meetings run. Members really loved talking about the different foods in Australia and Canada, the weather, sports, and what holidays the two countries had in common. Such wonderful connections were made that some of the group members even planned on becoming Pen Pals and visiting each other in each other’s countries!
All agreed the meeting was a success and we are all excited to meet again in the future. They even floated the idea of doing a project together to celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities 2020.
Connecting people with disability during COVID-19 through access to mobile devices
QDN is working with GIVIT which is a not-for-profit organisation to provide mobile devices and data to people with disability who require some additional assistance during this time.
GIVIT has sourced some mobile phones with data through organisation and corporate donations. These can be provided to people with disability who do not have access to a mobile device and who are experiencing extreme social isolation during COVID-19 as they do not have funded supports and are living alone or in supported accommodation.
QDN is helping GIVIT to match devices with people with disability who are extremely isolated and do not have access to a device to be able to connect with the community, talk to their family and friends, make doctors’ appointments or shop online for essential items.
Contact QDN at lsg@qdn.org.au to find out more about eligibility and available devices for mobile devices through GIVIT.
QDN would like to thank GIVIT for working with us around this important initiative helping extremely social isolated people with disability become connected during COVID-19.